“Umm, the Gold Ring hotel?” She pulled out her phone and quickly searched for it. She quietly thanked herself for buying the roaming plan. She pulled up a picture of a white building with a large gold ring above the entrance. “Geumbanji.”
“Ah, Geumbanji.” He leaned in and spoke to the driver in quick Korean.
She stood awkwardly, not liking the helplessness that came with being unable to speak the local language.
The mysterious man pulled back and smiled at her.
“We can go together.” He pointed inside the car.
“Oh.” She didn’t expect this. “Is this a carpool situation?”
The trunk popped open and he pointed at her suitcase.
“Okay, I guess.”
He carefully placed her suitcase in the trunk before opening the door and gesturing for her to get in. The seats were made of black leather and the car smelled new, expensive. There was a dark partition between the passengers and the driver. Fancy.
The handsome man climbed in next to her.
The car started driving.
“I’m not being kidnapped, am I?” She asked.
He looked at her with a confused expression. Suddenly his eyes lit up.
“I know,” he said. He pulled out his phone and opened an app, holding it in front of her.
“What’s this?” She asked.
A robotic voice spoke back in Korean. The screen indicated that it was translating what she said. She let out a delighted laugh, glad that it didn’t translate her joke about being kidnapped.
The man spoke in Korean. The robotic voice spoke again but in English this time.
“We can speak into this and understand each other.”
Her eyes connected with his. He smiled a handsome smile.
“My name is Vanessa,” she said.
“Nae ileum-eun Phanessa.”
“Banessa,” he repeated in his deep velvet voice.
“Close. Vanessa.”
“Phanessa,” the robotic voice repeated.
“Phanessa,” he repeated. “Phanessa?”
She laughed. He was just so cute.
“You know what?” She asked. “ Sure, why not.”
He smiled innocently.
“And your name?” She asked.
He hesitated for a moment before touching his chest. “Kimoon.”
She smiled. “Kimoon. That’s a nice name.”
Their eyes remained connected.
“Gamsa,” he said. His deep voice rippled through her.
“Thanks,” the phone translated without the same effect.
The car pulled in front of the large hotel.
“Oh wow, this place is huge!”
Kimoon stuffed his phone in his pocket as he said something in Korean before translating it himself.
“This is a nice hotel,” he said. “Princesses stay here. And rock stars.”
Vanessa couldn’t help flirting with him. “Are you a rock star?”
He looked at her with his dark magnetic eyes. “Are you a princess?”
Her cheeks grew warm and she bit back her smile. His stare was so electric that she had to actively pull herself away and climb out of the car.
Kimoon jumped out of the car to help her with her bag. She pulled money out for the driver but Kimoon stopped her.
“Me,” he said. “Let me.”
“Are you sure?”
He waved her away politely.
She smiled. “Gamsa.”
After he waved the car away, Kimoon joined her in front of the hotel.
“Very nice meeting you,” he said.
She suspected he said this a lot because it was one of the few English phrases he said with ease.
“Nice meeting you too,” she said.
A little part of her heart broke knowing this phrase signaled the end of their interaction. It was too bad because she could listen to that sultry deep voice of his all day. She didn’t need to know the words to know what he was saying.
“See you.” He waved and pulled away around the back of the hotel.
Where was he going?
Was he staying at that hotel too?
She looked around but couldn’t see where he disappeared to. It was like he was a ghost that disappeared into thin air.
Did she really just use a phone to flirt with someone? Not just anyone, but the very first guy she met in South Korea.
Was she really that desperate?
But it wasn’t desperation. She saw the interest in his eyes. There was a connection there.
Feeling a sense of renewal, she walked through the hotel lobby with confidence. It felt as if the universe was telling her “get back into the flirting scene, girl!”
She certainly wasn’t rusty.
The hotel lobby sparkled with its reflective white walls and gold finishing on the light fixtures. Fresh white roses filled the air with their seductive aroma. Vanessa felt like she was in her own wonderland.
Checking in was easy enough and she found her room with only a minor bit of confusion. The room was on a lower level. The dark hardwood floor and gold paint gave the room a modern but warm feel. The floor to ceiling window looked out onto the street and a nearby park.
After unpacking her clothes, she took the most amazing shower of her life. The skincare bathroom products were next level. One peach facial scrub, cucumber peel, and pomegranate hair mask later, she put on her underwear and debated what to wear. She’d have to choose an outfit appropriate for both a late lunch and boy band pop concert.
She couldn’t even remember the last time she went to a concert and suddenly it hit her. It was the Love Gain concert five years ago right after her nineteenth birthday. She was obsessed with that band, especially the lead singer, Horace. She saw that band four times that year.
As the memories flooded back, she realized that there was no reason to give her sister a hard time. Though she made fun of Madison now, she was guilty of doing the same thing when she was younger.
Putting on a Love Gain song for old-times sake, she danced as she settled on a faux leather pencil skirt, a loose white t-shirt, and a chunky pink necklace. She’d ask Madison to borrow a pair of hot pink shoes as her one Daenseu-themed sartorial compromise.
After finishing up the perfect winged eye, apricot cheeks, and peach-stained lips, she scrunched some mousse into her hair and posed for herself in the mirror. She looked good and she felt good. This vacation was doing her plenty of favors. The only thing to complete her mood was some food.
Her phone buzzed. It was a text from Madison.
MADISON: Student council emergency. Have to skip lunch. Sry!! Eat w/o me.
There was a string of different hearts and crying emojis that followed.
VANESSA: Okay, but you owe me!! Text me when you’re done.
Secretly, Vanessa was glad to have the afternoon alone. She was tired and hungry from the long flight, and this way she could rest before the busy night.
Debating whether to eat or take a nap first, she checked herself out in the mirror one last time, slipped on some black flats, and headed down to the lobby.
***
Kimoon sat in the penthouse suite of the Geumbanji hotel with the rest of the Daenseu Boys. They were posed in front of the tall window that overlooked the city. They stood by the edge of the pool, each doing their signature pose as they stared at the camera.
The photographer from a high-profile South Korean magazine snapped their picture.
“Okay, yes, perfect, perfect,” the photographer said. “Angle your bodies toward the light.”
The guys did as she said.
“Hey,” Sam whispered. “Where were you earlier?”
Sam was positioned right next to Kimoon.
“The university,” Kimoon whispered back.
“Chin up, Yong-sun!” The photographer barked.
The flashbulbs went off.
“Okay, now I want some individual shots. Daejung first.”
The rest of the guys walked
around the pool and out of the shot while Daejung posed.
“The university?” Sam asked. “Why?”
“What’s going on?” Chanook popped into the conversation with his bright blue head of hair.
“Kimoon was at the university today.”
“The university?” Chanook looked at him with a sleepy expression. “Why?”
“Ever since I turned twenty-five, I’ve been thinking about all the things I want to do in life. I want to learn things, experience things. And school is a big part of that. I arranged a meeting with a counselor who could help me take classes while we’re on the road.”
“While we’re on the road?” Chanook asked. “Like, virtually?”
“Exactly.”
“Oh, phew,” Sam said. “For a second I thought you were gonna ditch us for school.”
“No, I’m not ditching anything. I just want to enrich my life a bit more.”
“Yong-sun?” The photographer called out.
Yong-sun and Daejung switched places. Yong-sun’s silver hair glowed in the afternoon light as he posed in front of the window.
Chanook was next, leaving Sam and Kimoon alone.
“It’s not just school, is it?” Sam asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re thinking about something else.”
Kimoon always saw Sam as a good friend and this was why. Sam always saw right through him.
It was true. His thoughts were elsewhere. He was thinking of that woman from earlier. He had never seen such brilliant amber eyes. Those eyes almost looked electric, like fire.
He didn’t normally invite women into his private car but she mistook it for a taxi. He didn’t know what else to do. If he admitted it was a private taxi, she may have pieced together who he was. He thought it safer to do something nice and if she shared the story with the media, it’d be an uplifting story. Not one of those damaging stories that the media tended to twist and create out of nothing.
His intentions were innocent. So when the beautiful stranger ended up being charming and funny, he found himself disarmed and captured by her fiery stare.
It was also unusual not to be recognized. It wasn’t rare, but if he saw a young woman, he expected her to have that spark of realization in her eyes. That moment of recognition that always turned the relationship into one of fan and artist, rather than human and human. Or man and woman. And she certainly was a woman.
“Kimoon?” Sam asked.
Kimoon looked around the room, making sure nobody else would hear them, especially not Kang-hwan, the band’s manager. He was a short and round man with wild white hair. He always looked like he just stuck his finger in a socket. Despite his unassuming look, he was an intimidating man.
He was nowhere to be seen, meaning he was out in the hallway on a call. Kimoon looked back at Sam and lowered his voice.
“Do you ever resent the terms of our contract?”
“You mean that we’re not allowed to have girlfriends?”
Kimoon knew Sam would know exactly what he was talking about. The fact that Sam grew up in America made him a bit more willing to step outside the lines. Korean pop stars were meant to stick to contracts and rules. American rock stars lived to break them.
“Sometimes I feel so restricted. Like I’m allowed to sing about love and passion and lust. But I can’t actively pursue it. It’s the one forbidden fruit that can’t be tasted. And since it’s forbidden, it makes me want it even more. And then I feel wrong about it. I feel like I’m letting down the Daenseu girls, like I’m letting down my boys.”
Sam threw an arm around Kimoon’s shoulders.
“It’s important to be true to our fans,” Sam said. “Those are our Daenseu girls. We have to sell them the dream… the dream of us.”
“I know.” Kimoon dropped his face into his hands. “The guilt tears me apart.”
“But…” Sam continued. “We have dreams of our own. We have needs. They can’t expect us to sing about love and lust and desire every single night and not express our own needs, right?”
“We do express them,” Kimoon said. “That’s what the singing and dancing are for.”
“That’s what Kang-hwan wants us to believe, but it’s not enough.” Sam squeezed Kimoon’s shoulders. “Don’t we deserve more?”
Kimoon furrowed his brow. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying give in to your desires. Take the leap.” Sam’s blue insistent blue eyes urged him to do everything and more.
“Jun-sam?” The photographer called.
Sam’s gaze lingered a bit longer before pulling away for his solo shoot.
Kimoon felt his heart racing in his chest. It felt wrong to break the rules, to go back on the contract, but he was a grown man. He could make his own decisions.
Finally it was Kimoon’s turn to be photographed. He took his place on the edge of the pool in front of the large window. He posed as he looked at the camera.
“Ooh, that’s wonderful!” The photographer said. “I love that ferocity in your eyes, like you want something. Perfect, just perfect! Okay, last group shot!”
The guys gathered together in front of the pool.
Sam took his place next to Kimoon.
“Remember,” he whispered. “Don’t be afraid to take the leap!”
The photographer counted to three and the guys jumped into the pool fully clothed. They posed in the air as the bulb flashed continuously like a strobe light.
The splash was followed by laughter as the guys came up for air.
“Kong totally belly-flopped.” Yong-sun laughed.
“And it hurt like a slap to the belly. But at least I got a good photo out of it.”
After a few more photos the photographer stared at the screen on her giant camera.
“I think I got the winning shot. Thanks guys.” She pulled away, shaking hands with Kang-hwan who had re-entered the room.
Once the photographer was gone, Kang-hwan turned to the band.
“Alright, guys,” the older man said in his gruff voice. “Go get cleaned up. Remember to be at sound-check at four o’clock. I will not tolerate lateness.” He pulled away and left.
When the door closed and the coast was clear, Yong-sun turned to them.
“A few hours off, yeah boys!” He was the oldest member of the group and was considered their leader, their dragon. He was the glue that held them all together. Though he was the tallest member of the group and had a scar on his cheek, he was the friendliest guy Kimoon had ever met.
“I’m soaking wet,” Daejung said.
“Join the club.” Kong rang out the sleeves of his sweater. “I actually liked these clothes.”
“There’s a whole rack of new ones there,” Daejung said, pointing at the clothes provided for the photoshoot. “Dibs on the blue jacket.”
As the guys passed around towels and clothes, they started to disperse.
“Dae, Kong, and I are gonna play video games in the other penthouse suite if you guys want to join us,” Yong-sun said.
“No thanks.” Chanook yawned. He had a towel draped over his head. “I’m going to my apartment and get some sleep in my own bed before we start traveling tomorrow.”
He grabbed his bag and made his way to the door.
“Don’t get lazy,” Kong said, flicking a piece of paper at Chanook’s head. Kong’s neon orange hair was dripping with water. “We have to perform for forty-thousand fans tonight.”
“Give me a break.” Chanook swayed in place with his eyes closed.
“Who needs a break?” Kong asked with a big smile on his face. “Are we having another push-up contest?”
He pushed his sweater sleeves up and jumped down to the ground, clapping in between push-ups.
The guys laughed. Kong was always trying to make them laugh. His presence was always larger than life, which is why he earned the named King Kong.
“Where do you even get the energy?” Chanook yawned again.
“Kong, you com
ing?” Yong-sun asked. He and Daejung were already in the hallway on their way to the other room. Kong zoomed out of the room faster than a cartoon roadrunner.
Chanook quietly followed, walking as if he were a zombie recently brought back to life.
Kimoon and Sam were alone. Sam stripped off his wet clothes and grabbed some clothes from the rack.
It wasn’t unusual for the guys to see each other half-naked. After all, they were performers. It was impossible to do a costume change in private when backstage was so chaotic. Besides, these guys were like his brothers. There wasn’t anything he hadn’t seen before.
“Hey,” Sam said. He threw a pair of black jeans at Kimoon. “These would look good on you.”
With a quick movement, Kimoon caught the jeans. “Thanks.”
“Oh, and Kimoon?” Sam’s dark blue eyes found him from across the room. “You know what I said back there? About following your desire?”
Kimoon nodded. “Yeah?”
“If you do it, don’t let anyone know. Not even me.” He leaned in closer and winked.
“Don’t worry. This conversation never happened.”
Sam smiled as he pulled on an army green pullover sweater with patches on the elbows and shoulders.
“Hey, I like this.” He admired himself.
Kimoon chose something less conspicuous. He pulled on a white button-down and a black motorcycle jacket. He fished through the accessories before finding a pink floral scarf which he fashioned into a headband.
Sam looked up at him. “How do you do it?”
“Do what?” Kimoon fixed the angle of the headband.
“You always look so cool.”
Kimoon smiled. “I’m just being me.”
Sam used the towel to dry his hair before tossing it aside.
“Alright, I have to go. It looks like you have the room to yourself.”
“Where are you going?” Kimoon asked. He seemed to be the only one with no plans.
“I booked an appearance with the radio station down the street. It’s for the promo single from my solo project, Golden Tears. Don’t tell Kang-hwan.”
“He’s going to find out anyway.”
“At least he’ll find out after it’s too late! See you later.” Sam pulled away, leaving Kimoon alone in the large penthouse suite.
Looking around the messy penthouse suite, Kimoon realized he was the only one with no plans until sound-check that afternoon.
Moon Page 2